Copy and paste this worksheet as a separate page linked to the Homepage of your portfolio. DO NOT type your answers on THIS document because it needs to be used by other students. The title of your page which replies to these questions is linked to your portfolio and should begin with the first initials of your first and last name. (In my case, the link to this worksheet from my portfolio page would read frtrifles.)
You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them on time (no later than Friday, August, 25). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points, if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
India Hodo
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Trifles. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
In the beginning of the play we are in Iowa in the middle of winter in the first floor of the Wrights home which included a stove, a living area--including a rocking chair, and a somewhat disheveled kitchen. The play was written in 1916 so it is safe to assume that the events of the play are happening at that time. The character of the play are the young Court Attorney, the Sheriff, Hale, and the leading ladies, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. Also in the play, but not on stage are Mrs. Wright and Mr. Wright. The dramatic situation is that someone has killed Mr. Wright and his wife, Mrs. Wright has been taken to prison.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion in Trifles is the finding of the canary with its neck wrung by Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The unique factor of the play is that this is the week (or however long) that Mr. Wright killed the bird, thus killing off the one thing that brought some life back into the Wright's dead home.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
The dramatic question of the play is: Did Mrs. Wright kill Mr. Wright?
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
In the stasis of the play Mrs. Hale's want was to accompany Mrs. Peters to collect things to bring Mrs. Wright in prison. As the play progresses Mrs. Hale wanted to clean up the mess made by the men and fix the quilt, possibly to make it seem as if Mrs. Wright was more stable than she was. If so then an underlying want is for Mrs. Wright to be innocent. when the bird is discovered, her want shifts to to protect Minnie Foster from being punished. The obstacle here is the men who represent society and its laws (a sheriff and an attorney) would not approve of hiding evidence, and they would not even try to understand the pressures on Mrs. Wrights as a woman.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Trifles.
The most theatrical moment of the play is when the ladies frantically try to hide the box away from the men knowing that it could be the missing link to give motive on why Mrs. Wright would kill her husband. Another want was to find out if
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
One strong image in the play is the bird cage with the broken door. It serves as a two part image ; on one hand is shows the abuse that Mr. Wright dealt to Mrs. Wright and on a more symbolic note it shows the cage that women of the time were kept in and how Mrs. Wright escapes it by killing her husband. Another image of the play is the quilt. It shows how alone Mrs. Wright was to the women, but the men only see it as some small thing that only small minded people like women could worry about, thus reminding use of the plays title Trifles. A third image in the play is the jars of cherries. The jars could be symbolic of the relationship of Mr. and Mrs. Wright in that Mrs. Wright was sweet and fresh then picked and kept away in a jar, then the harsh and bitter coldness that was Mr. Wright broken the jars rendering the contents unusable and wasted. However, the reming jar that wasn't broken could be a symbol of hope for Mrs. Wright that there is still a chance for her to be how she once was, happy and sweet.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
The themes in Trifles are themes of family, loyalty to sex vs law, oppression of women, loss of happiness, and judgement.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
Family in Trifles, is a constrictive unit of shared labor, when there is no compassion. This is shown through Mr. and Mrs. Wright's cold loveless relationship. But when there is love, whether it be between man and women or woman and child, it is a way to stave off the cold and "stillness". In a more broader sense there is a familial quality among neighborhood which can be understood by the regret and responsibility that Mrs. Hale feels when thinking about the events and the fact that she never did anything to help. Also, to some extend the familial bond that is formed between pets and their humans which can been seen with Mrs. Wright and her bird and Mrs. Peters and her kitten.
You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them on time (no later than Friday, August, 25). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points, if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
India Hodo
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Trifles. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
In the beginning of the play we are in Iowa in the middle of winter in the first floor of the Wrights home which included a stove, a living area--including a rocking chair, and a somewhat disheveled kitchen. The play was written in 1916 so it is safe to assume that the events of the play are happening at that time. The character of the play are the young Court Attorney, the Sheriff, Hale, and the leading ladies, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters. Also in the play, but not on stage are Mrs. Wright and Mr. Wright. The dramatic situation is that someone has killed Mr. Wright and his wife, Mrs. Wright has been taken to prison.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play?
The intrusion in Trifles is the finding of the canary with its neck wrung by Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The unique factor of the play is that this is the week (or however long) that Mr. Wright killed the bird, thus killing off the one thing that brought some life back into the Wright's dead home.
4. State the dramatic question or questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
The dramatic question of the play is: Did Mrs. Wright kill Mr. Wright?
5. Use Ms. Hale to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Trifles the wants of Ms. Hale change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles for Ms. Hale.
In the stasis of the play Mrs. Hale's want was to accompany Mrs. Peters to collect things to bring Mrs. Wright in prison. As the play progresses Mrs. Hale wanted to clean up the mess made by the men and fix the quilt, possibly to make it seem as if Mrs. Wright was more stable than she was. If so then an underlying want is for Mrs. Wright to be innocent. when the bird is discovered, her want shifts to to protect Minnie Foster from being punished. The obstacle here is the men who represent society and its laws (a sheriff and an attorney) would not approve of hiding evidence, and they would not even try to understand the pressures on Mrs. Wrights as a woman.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Trifles.
The most theatrical moment of the play is when the ladies frantically try to hide the box away from the men knowing that it could be the missing link to give motive on why Mrs. Wright would kill her husband. Another want was to find out if
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Trifles. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
One strong image in the play is the bird cage with the broken door. It serves as a two part image ; on one hand is shows the abuse that Mr. Wright dealt to Mrs. Wright and on a more symbolic note it shows the cage that women of the time were kept in and how Mrs. Wright escapes it by killing her husband. Another image of the play is the quilt. It shows how alone Mrs. Wright was to the women, but the men only see it as some small thing that only small minded people like women could worry about, thus reminding use of the plays title Trifles. A third image in the play is the jars of cherries. The jars could be symbolic of the relationship of Mr. and Mrs. Wright in that Mrs. Wright was sweet and fresh then picked and kept away in a jar, then the harsh and bitter coldness that was Mr. Wright broken the jars rendering the contents unusable and wasted. However, the reming jar that wasn't broken could be a symbol of hope for Mrs. Wright that there is still a chance for her to be how she once was, happy and sweet.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Trifles.
The themes in Trifles are themes of family, loyalty to sex vs law, oppression of women, loss of happiness, and judgement.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with Trifles? Is family redefined in Trifles?
Family in Trifles, is a constrictive unit of shared labor, when there is no compassion. This is shown through Mr. and Mrs. Wright's cold loveless relationship. But when there is love, whether it be between man and women or woman and child, it is a way to stave off the cold and "stillness". In a more broader sense there is a familial quality among neighborhood which can be understood by the regret and responsibility that Mrs. Hale feels when thinking about the events and the fact that she never did anything to help. Also, to some extend the familial bond that is formed between pets and their humans which can been seen with Mrs. Wright and her bird and Mrs. Peters and her kitten.